Supporting Act by Agnes Lidbeck

The social contract is non-negotiable. The woman must be a mother. The woman must be desirable. The woman must be a caregiver.

When Anna gives birth, she surrenders completely to motherhood, reshaping her body, identity and purpose, shielding herself from the burden of her own desires. But as her marriage crumbles and her children grow independent, she needs a new role. An affair with an ageing writer, Ivan, offers her a new narrative, a way to rewrite herself. But no role lasts forever, and sooner or later Anna must confront the woman beneath the performance.